Nicole Haddow

Freelance journalist and author

Melbourne

At thirty, journalist Nicole Haddow

had an unstable income, no financial plan and only credit-card debt to her name. But less than two years later she was a homeowner.

In Smashed Avocado, Nicole explains the steps she took to purchase her own home, and interviews other people who have found diverse ways to enter the property market, including rentvesting, flipping, Airbnb, tiny homes and buying regionally. She even thrashes it out with Bernard Salt, the man who said young people should stop splashing out on expensive brunches if they want to own their own home.

The home ownership dream might look different today, but it’s still possible to make it a reality.